Senior Project culminates in return ceremony; community reflects
BY Jens Istvan and Jack Williamson Core Staff, reporter
After being immersed in a month of service, Saint Louis U. High’s senior class has returned as men both for and with others.
To celebrate their return, a ceremony during Studium on Thursday,
Jan. 29, the day after their return, was dedicated to showcasing the purpose and meaning of Senior Project. The first part of the event saw both students and faculty listening to groups of enthusiastic seniors sharing impactful stories and testimonies about their life-changing experiences from both the St. Louis area and around the world.
SLUH takes 2nd in Christian Interscholastic Speech League Finals
BY Lucas Hayden and Henry Hassenstab News Editor, reporter
T
he most creative minds from far and wide flocked to St. Louis U. High to participate in the Christian Interscholastic Speech League Finals this past Sunday; the SLUH team took second place overall.
Categories for the event include
Prose, Poetry, Radio Broadcasting, Humorous / Serious Interpretation, Original Oratory, Extemporaneous Speaking, Duet Acting Improv, and Duet Acting.
SLUH students who participated were seniors Paul Thibodeau and Noah Butler, juniors Max Marnatti, Wilson Scher and Will Schulte, and sophomore Tucker Hill; all of them participated in two categories. They
Annual Father-Son Mass, Banquet highlighted by guest speaker John Kindschuh
BY Owen Williams and Henry Fitzpatrick Staff, reporter
Hundreds of St. Louis U. High students and their fathers squeezed into the Chapel last Sunday for the annual Father-Son Mass and Banquet. The fathers and sons enjoyed a Mass celebrated by Fr. Danny Tesvich, SJ, a dinner in the Si Commons, and guest speaker John Kindschuh, father of SLUH student Ryan Kindshuh ’28.
The evening started out in the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple, celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Fathers along with their sons played a few small roles in the Mass, such as singing in the choir.
“(This event) tells me that the community of SLUH is very healthy. You saw that because the chapel was packed,” said Tesvich. “We got more people than we expected.”
After Mass, the sons led their fathers to the Si Commons for a formal
on page 5
“The classroom presentations give each senior the opportunity to reflect on and share their experience with others,” said Director of Campus Ministry Brian Gilmore. “I think they are a critical piece where the student gets an opportunity to articulate what they learned to an audience.”
“We split the seniors up by popu-
continued on page 4
Jesuit students nationwide travel to California in first Student Ecology Summit
Three St. Louis U. High students flew all the way out to the golden state of California this past weekend to participate in the first ever Student
Ecology Summit hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. In an event largely facilitated by SLUH’s own social studies Anne Marie Lodholz, students from eight different schools from around the country gathered to learn more about how to make their schools more sus-
tainable and share the progress they’ve already made.
The planning for this event really began all the way back in October of 2024. After being contacted by Brenna Davis of the Ignatian Solidarity Net-
continued on page 4 continued on page 4
Turn to see the Prep News’ picks!
Page 6 sports Pickleball
Is it a vegetable?? No. It’s a sport, silly. The PickleBills are here and ready to dominate.
Page 7
Crossword Clues await up and down this week’s puzzle. Compete for a shoutout in next week’s edition.
Page 8
photo | Aidan McCoy
Brian Gilmore makes a speech at the assembly.
photo | Courtesy of Brendan Hunt
(Left to right) Finn Rose, Justin Jachna, and Brendan Hunt in California.
BY Brendan Hunt Staff
continued
photo | Susan O’Keefe
Students and their fathers at the banquet.
photo | Courtesy of Joe Porter Whitaker with the Speech team.
Six seniors serve children in Honduras, immersed in rural culture, poverty
BY Andrew Hunt News Editor
Six Jr. Bills spent three weeks in Yoro, Honduras living with host families, working with malnourished children, and fully stepping into the lifestyle and culture that teems inside one of Central America’s poorest and most infrastructurally challenged countries.
The students in Honduras were seniors Jacob Grijalva, Mason Lauber, Will Martin, Greyson Mueller, Evan Mullins, and Gavin Smith. The trip is oriented almost entirely around the San Yves Nutrition Center, which cares for dozens of malnourished children year-round who stay there for months or sometimes years after being sent to a hospital for health issues. Most of them come from the very poor rural communities surrounding Yoro. The SLUH students spent nearly every day at the center, which is located near the outskirts of Yoro, only a 15-minute walk from their host families’ homes: playing with the kids, keeping them out of trouble, feeding them, cleaning the floors, and helping improve the center’s landscaping.
San Yves is primarily supported by NutriFund International, which was founded in 2016 by SLUH alum Patrick Mulligan ’13 for the core purpose of supporting San Yves. In fact, Mulligan lived in Yoro for over five years since founding NutriFund as the primary director of the nutrition center, and moved back to the U.S. within the past year, aiming to expand his fundraising efforts through NutriFund and hand leadership of San Yves back to local Hondurans.
Before NutriFund, San Yves was a Senior Project site, under the leadership of longtime former SLUH teacher Charley Merriott. This is the first year that it returns to that status, after acting as a spring break service opportunity available to juniors and seniors for the last few years. In fact, Martin, Mueller, and Mullins had made the trip to Honduras just last spring break, in March 2024.
Throughout the trip, the students became very familiar with Honduras as a whole, witnessing the infrastructure and corruption issues that plague the country. In fact, the department of Yoro (one of 18 departments in the country), inside which the town of Yoro resides, is known for narcotrafficking and organized crime. Honduras is a leading exporter of bananas, an industry that takes its toll on water supplies in the area of Yoro and causes mass pollution.
“On the drive (from San Pedro Sula to Yoro), we saw a lot of trash, and there were stray dogs and stray horses everywhere,” said Grijalva.
The country’s issues were reflected in one very pertinent way on the experience of the Jr. Bills: in the kids they were serving. Although Honduras is a farming country, food is scarce, and stunted growth and malnutrition are commonplace. The kids staying at the center represent only a fraction of the families struggling in the disconnected rural communities around Yoro, which often face a lack of education and generational neglect of children.
Every morning, after eating breakfast with their host families, the students would trek through the dirt roads to the center, where they’d help the center’s seven or eight women working daily (most of whom were just mothers coming to help out). This meant being with the kids outside and taking care of them by holding or playing with them, and helping the younger ones eat at lunch time—a particularly arduous task. They’d also mop the center, which would repeatedly get dirty after meals, and on occasion, they helped improve
the landscaping of the center.
“The hardest part was struggling emotionally with the reality of most of the kids in Honduras,” said Mueller. “It’s a difficult life. Malnourishment is not even recognized there, because everyone has it.”
“It kind of made me think the whole trip, like, ‘What did I do to deserve the things that I have? Why was I born here, and these people who are so much more humble and grateful than I am, why were they born into a much harder situation?’” said Smith. “Patrick (Mulligan) was telling us at one point that there are kids here who have issues with their behavior. A lot of that is just a result of neglect … They grow up without that foundation in their life.”
The day-to-day of living in Honduras was drastically different, a factor that gave the group of Jr. Bills a crucial perspective on how much of the nonWestern world lives. They didn’t have strong running water, so they showered out of buckets every day with a scoop to pour water with. Many faced illness in reaction to the sudden change in diet, but nevertheless praised the food of their two host families.
“She made excellent lunches,” said Mullins. “Never missed. I loved the lunches and how I got new parts of the culture every day.”
Their hosts were a grounding part of the trip, and became like family to the students. None of them spoke English, so it was an amazing opportunity to grow in their language-learning journey. All six students are in AP Spanish at SLUH.
“It made me want to learn Spanish a lot more,” said Grijalva. “It’s a lot more fun learning Spanish in settings where I have to figure out how to communicate with these people who can’t speak English.”
“Really every conversation with my host mom was amazing,” said Mueller. “I would sit down in my free time, and she would just talk and talk and talk, and I would listen. It was really great to hear about Honduras, about her life, about her hopes and dreams, and get the extra Spanish lesson too.”
Like other Hondurans they met, the host families showed the students a level of love that they saw reflected throughout the country. They quickly became aware of the vibrancy of the country’s culture and communities, despite its poverty and issues.
“What struck me about Honduras was the generosity of the people,” said Grijalva. “The generosity of our host families, like our hostess, who would basically treat us as her kids … everybody was friendly.”
“The Honduran culture is really amazing because they prioritize family and experiences and love,” said Mueller. “There were three generations living with my host family.”
A wide cast of characters had the opportunity to accompany the seniors during their three week journey in Yoro. The students flew down and spent their first week with water polo coach Thomas Rea ’94, who at-
Students venture to Arrupe Leadership Summit, improve leadership skills and support social justice
BY Finn Rose reporter
SixSt. Louis U. High students traveled to Mt. Hermon, California last weekend for the Arrupe Leadership Summit, which was hosted by the Ignatian Solidarity Network and ran alongside the ISN Student Ecology Summit.
marshmallow challenge where we had to build up a tallest structure with marshmallows and spaghetti sticks,” said Bautista.
In addition to team building challenges, students worked together on social justice projects that they could take back to their schools.
tended the same trip in 1993 as a student and supervised the 2024 spring break group, alongside his daughter, St. Joseph’s Academy senior Cecilia Rea. Then they were accompanied by Mulligan, who still visits the center frequently. Lastly, media director Will Linhares spent the last few days with them and flew back with them at the end of the month.
Over three weeks of spending this time together, struggling together through sicknesses and rejoicing in their time with the kids, the SLUH students became very close and formed a vibrant community in the moments between service.
“Every time we went to dinner, we would have a mini debate, and it would be over anything about politics, morality, really anything,” said Mueller.
“We learned each other’s habits and how to live with each other, and we learned to help each other out,” said Grijalva. “If somebody needed Pepto Bismol, we’d share it.”
On their own time, though, the SLUH students also got to appreciate the sights and experiences of simply being abroad. Although Yoro is a rather sleepy town at dusk, they spent most nights wandering its streets, visiting ice cream shops and more. On one weekend, they had the opportunity to take a trip with Nahin, the current director of San Yves, and his wife to Copán, a larger city at the Guatemala/Honduras border. There, they were able to explore a slightly nicer area and get a taste of the amazing Mayan ruins.
Through it all, it was the kids that kept the Jr. Bills motivated to serve every single day, and who will be stuck in many of their minds forever.
“There was one little girl who looked like she was one, but she was two, and she was the most obviously malnourished,” said Grijalva. “Even though she didn’t really like to interact, I tried to be there with her and give her attention. I eventually found out that she likes Peekaboo, so I’d have my hat on my face, and then take it away and have a funny face. I got her to laugh, and that made me happy.”
“The greatest part was just seeing the joy every single day of working with them and seeing their progress dealing with malnourishment,” said Mueller.
Each student has been left changed by this trip, in one way or another.
“It’s made me think about what I’m going to be doing as a career,” said Smith. “I want to be an engineer, but how can I use that to help other people that are in a situation less fortunate than me?”
“I’d absolutely recommend this site to anyone and everyone. It’s so important to see different conditions of life and understand different perspectives … you’ll experience suffering, but also resilience, despair yet hope,” said Mueller. “In Honduras, or in your own community, be the kind of person who cares, who acts, and who makes a difference, because no child should have to fight this hard just to survive.”
Named after Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, the Summit focuses on instilling leadership in high school students working for social justice within their communities. Freshmen Joon Bautista, Santi Guzman, Peter McGroarty, and Sebastian Schmitt Arango and sophomores LoBari Kenule, and Zayvione Caver-Hunt had discussions with six other schools and two parishes about social justice. Chaperoning the students were math teacher Tracy Lyons and campus minister Simonie Anzalone. The Summit inspired a new club at SLUH, called Bridges for Solidarity.
The event consisted of four sessions, each with a major topic of discussion. The first session was called “Model the Way,” where participants practiced self-awareness and gratitude, and reflected on their school and personal gifts.
During the second session, “Inspire a Shared Vision,” participants discussed in groups what social justice currently looks like for them, their schools, and their communities.
After discussing and reflecting on social justice, participants tested their advocacy skills during “Challenge the Process,” which consisted of short 60-second mock pitches to school administrators.
Although SLUH students had to leave before the conclusion of the Summit, the last session was “Enable Others to Act by Encouraging the Heart.”
“One session that really stood out to me was going against the status quo. If you see something’s clearly wrong, speak up against it,” said Schmitt Arango.
During the sessions, participants were seated in ways conducive to conversation and teamwork between schools.
“(The sessions) would be either a bunch of chairs set up in a seminar circle with the teacher or mentor towards the back, or there’d be tables, and we’d do group projects, like a
“There was this one part where we had to group up as a school and make a poster about some real world issues, and then we’d hang them up, and then we’d have an elected person from our school present our poster,” said Bautista.
As a part of the Summit, students were asked to find and do a concrete action that was within their power and would make a difference for social justice. As a result, Bautista, Guzman, McGroarty, and Schmitt Arango are starting a new social justice club called Bridges for Solidarity, named after the maxim “building bridges, not borders.”
“We wanted all of our discussions to be student-led,” said McGroarty. “So we’re planning to send a poll to the students to see what they think might be a problem.”
The club will then discuss a problem that is important to the student body and work to find solutions for social injustices at SLUH.
For Anzalone, this event was one that she had coordinated for years but never attended as a participant.
“I was excited to get to experience it personally. A lot of my colleagues have raved about it, and so I thought it was important not only to know what it was about, so that I could come back and accurately put the program together, but also just to be able to experience it for myself,” said Anzalone. “There were a couple of great adult sessions as well, talking about issues within our own school and what the status of social justice is at the school. And it was really lovely to connect with other high school teachers and ministers.”
Students left the Summit with plans for bringing social justice to SLUH, and new ideas about what social justice means to them.
“What I learned at the Summit was that everybody’s still in different places dealing with different social issues, and that if we want to solve anything we have to unite the world together,” said McGroarty.
Greyson Mueller with children from Honduras.
Students at Arrupe Leadership Summit. photo | Courtesy of Simonie Anzalone
photo | Will Linhares
Bey-lieve it or not! Beyoncé Club visits the Symphony Orchestra
BY Leo Hahn and Max Marnatti Features Editor, Core Staff
Queen Bey and King Beethoven? The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra welcomed composer Steve Hackman and company for the fusion of King and Queen through his “Beethoven x Beyoncé” concert.
Last Friday, five members of the St. Louis U. High Beyoncé Club visited the Stifel Theater for a viewing of the concert, which featured the melding of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and popular Beyoncé songs like “Cuff It,” “Déja Vu,” and “Single Ladies.” The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was joined by three vocalists, an electric bassist, a guitarist and keyboard player, and a drummer in order to fully mesh classical and contemporary.
At this most recent field trip, Beyoncé club moderators Kate Toussaint and Tracy Lyons, accompanied by seniors Nate Lepak, Michael Cheers, and Paul Thibodeau and junior Max Marnatti, ventured into the city for the concert. As Toussaint, Lepak, and Cheers made their way to box seats provided by Toussaint’s friend, Unitey Kull, who works at the symphony as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Thibodeau and Marnatti hiked their way up to the nosebleeds as they purchased their tickets before the club made the decision to attend as a group.
“I love to support the St. Louis
Symphony,” said Toussaint. “The symphony is trying to broaden their reach and get a younger audience interested to become patrons. I love Beyoncé, and I love Beethoven, I’m not afraid to say.”
After settling into their seats, the concert began with an introduction from the creator. Hackman explained that his goal was to fuse the most impactful artists of our world, leaving him with no other option than the creator of “the apotheosis of dance” Beethoven and the 35-time Grammy winner herself, Beyoncé. Hackman also compared Beyoncé’s continued concept albums with Beethoven’s symphonies, and how the two artists mirrored each other in that aspect.
The concert began with three vocalists—Kaylah Sharve’, Brayla Cook, and Malia Civetz—singing “Run the World (Girls),” creating crisp harmonies that blended seamlessly with the first movement, Poco Sostenuto - Vivace.
After the first act came to a close, the concert goers arose from their seats and chatted about the music over concession snacks paid for by the BeyBills’ club budget.
“When the Beethoven song transitioned into ‘Halo,’ I gasped. It was perfect,” said Toussaint. “That was definitely the best blended song.”
The second act began with a Beethoven interlude to ease the audience back into the fusion experiment. This section of the con -
cert proved to be the highlight of the night, emphasizing more songs with groove. With songs like “Formation” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the audience had no choice but to get up and dance, which many did.
Two dancers ended up taking the spotlight in the second half. The first one, a cowboy, leapt from his seat during “Texas Hold ‘Em” and began strutting up and down the aisle as he stepped and swung his hat to the beat of the song, much to the delight of the audience. The second dancer was a little girl, who appeared shortly afterwards to the left of the stage. She elicited many “aww’s” from the audience.
After standing ovations at the end of the concert, members of the Beybills stayed behind in the Stifel lobby to meet the singers, orchestral performers, and Hackman. After getting their special event posters signed, the group ended a successful night out.
“They were so nice,” said Lepak. “We talked for a while and they didn’t seem like they were trying to rush us. They loved the fact we had a Beyoncé Club, too.”
The BeyBills are a new club this year, started by Lepak with Touissaint and Lyons. Since its founding, the club has attracted many more students, who aim to celebrate the cultural and musical significance of Beyoncé. Most meetings involve listening to select tunes of Beyoncé, playing games of bingo, eating snacks, singing in
karaoke, participating in trivia, and hearing lectures on the impact of Beyoncé.
“It’s about enjoyment. It’s about getting out in the city. It’s about supporting artists,” said Toussaint.
“I think sometimes people think of Beyoncé Club as a joke, and maybe it started as that, but I don’t think so anymore. We are always very excited—we’re fans of the music and what it represents.”
The club’s favorite activities are the field trips. In the fall, members went to the St. Louis Central Library to celebrate “Bey Day”. Amidst the stacks of books, fans celebrated Beyoncé’s birthday through lectures and games. These trips allow the club to actively immerse themselves in the culture of
Beyoncé, sharing with those outside of the school.
“There are lots of ways we can have conversations and enjoy art and culture and music and specifically Beyoncéz ,” said Toussaint. “We can go to the library, and we can hear lectures on her importance as a Black woman, a Southern artist.We can think about culture through her music. We can go to ‘Beethoven x Beyonce’ and enjoy her years of work, and compare that with Beethoven.”
“It enhances our idea of cultural enrichment, talking about her relation to the music industry and culture,” said Lepak. “Her music is combined with music from the 1800s, and that idea just shows (Beyoncé’s) impact.”
Is this a banger? Prep News reviews 67th annual Grammy awards
BY Leo Hahn Features Editor
S
trike up the band! The 67th Grammy awards blasted through television sets this last Sunday, bringing with it a host of celebrations and controversies. In case you didn’t watch it, here are a couple of highlights from this year’s winners—and losers—and what this year’s Grammys might mean for the next year of music. Overall, it was a very strong year for women in music, with nearly all of the major categories won by women. This trend is a continuation of the 2024 Grammys, where women famously won every televised award. With the
advent of many newer female artists like Chappell Roan, Doecchi, and Gracie Abrams this year, it’s clear this is a trend that will continue.
Album of the Year and Best Country Album: Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé Whether you like it or not, Beyoncé’s bold new concept album Cowboy Carte r was one of the main stars of Sunday night, winning both the Album of the Year and Best Country Album categories. Twenty twenty-five was a hotly contested year for this category, with albums from Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, and André
3000 as nominees, but Cowboy Carter had enough influence and brownie points with the academy to claim victory. This is notably the first time Beyoncé has taken home Album of the Year, having been nominated for it four times before in 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2017. She also announced shortly after the Grammys the Cowboy Carter tour, which is set to play 22 shows in the next year in both the US, Britain, and France. Beyoncé’s win of the Best Country Album was widely controversial because Cowboy Carter was a concept album, and many did not see it as authentic country music. This can be seen as a reflection on the cultural shift within the genre of country music as a whole. Pushing aside white nominees like Luke Combs and Willie Nelson, Beyoncé’s claim in the country category as a black woman could point to a new influx of black artists in the genre within the coming year.
Record of the Year and Song of the Year: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
The undisputed king of the competition this year, Kendrick Lamar’s smash diss track “Not Like Us” tore the competition to shreds, even more than the song tore Drake’s reputation to shreds earlier this year. Taking both Record of the Year and Song of the Year, it’s clear that there was a significant amount of talent among the entire team behind it. Interestingly, all other nominees for these categories were largely pop artists, making Lamar’s win even more impressive while also cementing his status as a juggernaut of popular culture.
To specify, Record of the Year is an award given to the entire
team behind a song, including sound engineers, mixers, and artists, while Song of the Year is purely a songwriting award given to the main artist alone.
Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance: Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter
It’s obvious that Sabrina Carpenter can’t relate to desperation, and neither can her success. Carpenter’s hit song “Espresso” was the top streamed song on Spotify in 2024, and her ongoing Short n’ Sweet tour is ongoing and wildly successful. One way Carpenter was able to beat the competition in these categories was her distinct edge. A former Disney Channel star, Carpenter has since used her music to promote a more playful and raunchy side of her image, something that Grammy winner Miley Cyrus has also done. Carpenter was also one of the most notable performances of the night. Clad in a glittery, tear-away tuxedo and later a pinup inspired bodysuit, Carpenter sang and tap danced to an arrangement of some of her most popular hits from this year, including “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Her selfaware humor and showmanship made both her performance and album stand out among the rest.
Best Rap Album: Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
Another fresh face in this year’s Grammy awards was Doechii, a black female rapper from Tampa Bay, Florida, whose third album Alligator Bites Never Heal won best rap album of the year. This was huge for Doechii for a number of reasons, but mainly because all of the other nominees are considered well established artists in the rap industry, including the
likes of Eminem, J. Cole, and Future & Metro Boomin. She is also the third woman to ever receive a Grammy in the category, following behind Cardi B and Lauryn Hill.
Best New Artist: Chappell Roan Beating out other notable nominees like Doechii and Jellyroll, the country’s newest drag-inspired pop artist Chappell Roan—a Missouri native—finally secured her spot of respect in the industry by winning this year’s Best New Artist category. Roan is largely known for her outlandish outfits, her hit songs like “HOTTOGO,” and her combative attitude towards the media and music industry. That attitude was highlighted during her acceptance speech, where, while donning exaggerated makeup, she spoke out against the music industry. During the speech, she demanded healthcare and a livable wage to newer artists, which was met with cheers from the crowd. This highlight from Roan and the broad support it received could be a signal for future changes in the industry. Either way, her bravery was admirable.
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Dune: Part Two by Hans Zimmer
Despite being a rather mediocre movie, there’s no doubt that the music is what really made Dune: Part Two as impactful as it was. Zimmer’s score was percussive and vivid, adding life to the naturally harsh world of Arrakis. Other notable nominees included Germaine Franco for Encanto and Michael Giacchino for The Batman . This marks Zimmer’s fifth Grammy, which means there’s sure to be more to come.
Michael Cheers, Nate Lepak, Max Marnatti, and Paul Thibodeau with vocalists. photo | Courtesy of Kate Toussaint
art | Carlo Carapella
Six students compete in Speech League Finals
(continued from page 1)
were led by speech team moderator Kathryn Whitaker, and accompanied by volunteer judges psychology teacher Sam Herbig, social studies teacher Joe Porter, and science teacher Andrew Kresyman.
Preparation for the finals was extensive, with many members of the team travelling around the school to enlist help from senseis in their various fields.
“I put in a lot of work. Objectively, I put in more work than I had for previous meets, because it was the finals, and I’ve done speech for four years, so I wanted to go out on a strong note,” said Student Body President Noah Butler. “I worked with Mr. Esswein on my original oratory because it was about Latin, got some good direction from him. I went to Mrs. Whitaker for my storytelling. I did “No Jumping on the Bed” by Ted Arnold for storytelling, it’s a riveting text, and she really helped me bring that to life, and bring the different characters to life.”
Coordination was also fairly tricky.
“I work with the boys on material during the year and set them up with scenes and try to work with them as often as possible,” said Whitaker. “Of course, that’s tough, because everybody does 17 things. It’s hard to get a lot of time commitment, but they do good work when we get to work. And every other year, I host a meet (at SLUH).”
Once the day rolled around, however, the time for sage advice was over. Students made the climb up from the parking lot, into the Si Commons, relying on nothing but their memory and charisma. Everyone, judges and contestants alike, met in the Commons before the contest officially started at 11:00 a.m. Once the clock struck, contenders filed into their various rooms around SLUH, one for each category. Surrounded by their fellow category contenders, students went one at a time, rehearsing the culmination of their work in front of two judges per room.
“It’s like stadium pulse in College Football 25,” said Butler. “Obviously the place is rocking, but it’s not fazing you. I felt very comfortable, because I felt well prepared, and we were at SLUH, which was like a bonus. For me, it was really special to be able to end my speech team career at SLUH, where it all started. It felt like a full circle moment.”
After the last speech was given, students got their results back fairly quickly, with scores coming back very favorably for SLUH, and speakers going home relatively satisfied.
“People who are interested for next year should see me. I’m really interested in building a team and making certain that students can commit to only four meets,” said Whitaker. “I’ll work with you at your own convenience most of the time. We don’t have a lot of meeting where we can all perform for each other, because there’s just not time—an Activity Period is not long enough for that. But I work a lot with individuals and partners, and I’ll be looking to really build up the team next year.”
Seniors share project experiences in advisories during return ceremony
(continued from page 1)
lations served and then site so that each advisory is getting a sampling of the senior project offerings,” said campus minister Simonie Anzalone.
The community got to hear a variety of stories, and had an opportunity to ask seniors questions and about if they’d recommend their project as a choice for themselves senior year. Nearly every single one answered with a resounding yes.
Many students chose to volunteer close to home, aiding the elderly, caring for the mentally and physically disabled, working in crisis care, and helping to educate young children.
“I went to a school called Gateway Michael in St. Louis,” said senior Matteo Abbate. “This kid there, Chris, couldn’t walk and had to use a wheelchair. He could not do any motor functions, like writing, but he could still learn some things. When I taught him math, he couldn’t conceptualize the fact that you could add numbers together, so that’s what we worked on. We tried so many different things, but none of them worked. Then, one day I tried having him use his fingers to count instead of blocks, and he finally started to get it. He said, ‘I got it! I got it!’ and the smile on his face was the cutest little thing.”
Other students chose to travel internationally to locations around the globe; Taiwan, Jordan, Poland, France, Guatemala, and Honduras.
“I spent Senior Project in Poland working with all sorts of people in need,” said senior Cyrus Ranek. “I spent my first two weeks with kindergarteners, where I met an amazing kid named Helen who was so incredibly helpful and caring. Then, I spent my last two with people struggling with mental and physical handicaps.”
“Senior Project in Taiwan was absolutely surreal,” said senior Clark Davis. “The Taiwanese culture, the people, and
being able to experience another culture as a humble servant was amazing, and I would gladly do it again.”
After sharing their experiences, the seniors, along with the rest of the student body and the faculty, proceeded to the Commons for an all-school return ceremony. There, they were greeted by the co-organizers of Senior Project, Gilmore and Anzalone. Gilmore and Anzalone each gave speeches, trying to encapsulate what they believe is the purpose of the month-long period in which seniors serve the community.
“SLUH does Senior Project because it is a great way to put into practice the idea of being Men for Others,”said Gilmore. “It pushes students outside of their comfort zone and places them in service to a world that needs their talents, compassion, and generosity. To encounter and embody mercy is to encounter a piece of God. We have the chance to embody God’s mercy to those we serve, and in that service and exchange with others, we receive mercy from them.”
After the speeches, a slideshow, artfully curated by senior Luke Schall, showing images of seniors serving their communities, was presented to wrap up
the assembly.
The slideshow showed scenes of seniors with the communities they served, including photos of kids in their grade school classrooms, posing with their international project groups, showing a warm face in an assisted living facility, or playing with a child.
“I’ve heard some very touching stories of the people they have encountered,” said Anzalone. “However, unless the seniors make a concerted effort to continue serving, or investigate the systems that keep people in cycles of poverty, or advocate for the least among us, they haven’t really changed. (They must) challenge preconceived notions and work toward a more just society.”
“My favorite thing about Senior Project is seeing how powerful of a learning moment it is for our seniors,” said Gilmore. “They come back to school changed, often more mature and more aware of the suffering and situation of others around them. I love hearing what they have to say about what they learned and experience. They go into it determined to help others, and often they encounter how much they themselves learn.”
Eight Jesuit high schools convene in SLUH pioneered first Student Ecology
(continued from page 1)
work, Lodholz worked with Davis and others to lay down the groundwork for a trip which had never been done before. She received training from Onora, an organization that is committed to protecting and healing the planet, on how to properly teach students about making change in the world.
“What you realize, working with Onora, is that it’s not about the problem solving, it’s about the relationships,” said Lodholz. “So the goal really becomes how do you create a structure where you can convince and give practice to students who care very sincerely and passionately about issues that they want to be leaders in.”
With a full plan in place for how the weekend would go, the three students, along with moderators Lynne Casey and Teresa Corley, headed out to San Francisco on Friday morning. Upon arriving, they hopped in a rental car to drive the two hours to Mt. Hermon, where the weekend’s activities would be taking place. A skinny winding road led the group of five through a foggy redwood forest until they finally arrived at Mt. Hermon, a collection of cabins and different meeting buildings surrounded by towering redwood trees.
“It was kind of like a summer camp environment,” said sophomore Justin Jachna, one of the SLUH students on the trip. “The whole place was very part of nature—it all blended with the nature and the redwoods of the area. The whole place had a kind of peaceful feeling to it.”
The first night’s session, already
underway as the SLUH students arrived, began with some ice breakers. The students had some time to become acquainted with the other students they would be working with the rest of the weekend in order to be comfortable sharing ideas with the summit as a whole.
Some of the schools on the trip included Bishop O’Dowd High School from Oakland, California; Saint Xavier High School from Cincinnati, Ohio; and Gonzaga Prep from Spokane, Washington.
The first session was a lesson on Gratitude-Based Learning, in which students learned to shift their mindsets in order to be grateful for the things around them while also realizing that there is work to be done to make progress.
Saturday began with breakfast in Mt. Hermon’s dining hall, a room packed to the brim with participants from dozens of various retreats, some of which were the Jr. Bills going on the Arrupe Leadership Summit. Hiking through the light drizzle of rain which persisted the whole weekend, all of the students headed back to the main building, where three more sessions would follow throughout the day.
Through the instruction of Lodholz and “curious conversations” between different schools, all of the students on the trip came to know each other and understand how the other schools were implementing their own sustainability ideas.
“I was really impressed particularly by the schools in California,” said freshman Finn Rose, one of the students on the trip and a member of the
Kindschuh speaks at Father-Son Mass, Banquet
(continued from page 1)
dinner. Food and refreshments were provided by FSC including potatoes, salad, and chicken topped with sun dried tomatoes and cheese. For dessert, cake was enjoyed by many. For fathers of freshmen, this event provided them an opportunity to further step into the vast SLUH community.
After everyone finished eating, Fred Bendaña, father of Nick and Alex Bendaña ’25 took the stage to introduce the guest speaker for the night, Kindschuh. Bendaña discussed the beginning of their friendship, and what an inspiration Kindachuh was to everybody around him.
“I suggested John Kindschuh for the event because I had heard him talk before and was very inspired by him,” said Fathers Club President Jim Kelly.
An environmental attorney and father of two, Kindschuh suffered a stroke in 2013, when he was just 35, that left him nearly paralyzed and unable to speak.
“The thoughts in my head were racing, but I was unable to get the words out,” said Kindschuh during his speech to the crowd. “Essentially, I was a prisoner inside my own body.”
After being assessed and treated at Barnes Jewish Hospital, he started the long and tedious recovery journey while also balancing his role as a father.
“I made a critical choice at that time, a choice that has impacted my life to this very evening,” said Kindschuh. “I chose to stay positive. Maintaining a positive outlook on life has not only helped me to deal with my stroke, but also has helped me to carry my cross.”
Summit
Green Ambassadors of SLUH. “They obviously have such a great focus on sustainability that it has become routine for everyone at the school.”
During a break following lunch that day, the students were able to go on a hike down the road to see some of the larger redwoods in the area. This hike, which took longer than expected due to rain and a muddy trail, was followed by a 4:00 p.m. Mass, an opportunity for students to reconnect spiritually in addition to the various connections with nature on the trip.
As the final session wrapped up that night, the students worked on their plans for how they would implement sustainability at their own schools. After hearing what students at other schools like Brophy Prep did with their waste management system, the three Jr. Bills hoped to be able to implement similar systems at SLUH.
“We had a ton of ideas coming out of this summit,” said Finn Rose. “A lot of them focused on waste reduction, reuse, and proper treatment and disposal. We had a significant amount of items that could really easily be done with some teamwork and communication.”
One plan which the sustainability group hopes to implement at SLUH is to work with the administration and facilities departments to make sure that composting is always accessible to students. Along with this, they hope to update outdated signage on the garbage, recycling, and compost bins throughout the building in an effort to make SLUH into a more sustainable school which works to build, not break down, the planet.
After Kindschuh spoke on the experiences from the time shortly after his stroke, he gave the fathers and sons an opportunity to reflect with each other, presenting multiple reflection questions. The reflection was meant to give everyone a chance to learn more about themselves and how they can better incorporate God into their lives and struggles. Many fathers further bonded with their sons through these questions.
“I felt like I got to learn a little more about my dad and how we interact with each other,” said freshman Gunnar Marsh.
Kindschuh also spoke on the challenges of having a son through this struggle, but also the joys of parenting, and what he has learned from his son along this journey.
“As a father, you’re supposed to teach your children how to do things like ride a bike and throw a football,” said Kindschuh. “Well, I could barely hold a football, much less throw one, so I had to shift my expectations, and that was hard to do at first but now I’m seeing benefits from that.”
Kindschuh’s relationship with God and his outlook on the whole ordeal made it easier to bear, and is now the reason that he chooses to speak to so many people about his experience.
”People should invite God in any medical issues. People turn away from God a lot when they’re struggling,” said Kindschuh. “And I also want people to know that it gets better. I want to give people hope that they, too, can get better.”
After Kindschuh wrapped up his speech, he received a well deserved standing ovation from the crowd. His words made a lasting impact on not just the fathers, but everyone in attendance.
“It was really special, I really enjoyed that. We were really moved by the talk,” said Kelly.
Caleb Treadwell presents to students.
photo | Aidan Giljum
SPORTS
Fast. Physical. Free.
Basketball flies past the Liberty Eagles, falls short against MCC rival Vianney
BY Jake Fitzpatrick and Lincoln Shorley Core Staff
It’s that time of year. Rounding the corner into the final stretch of the season, the St. Louis U. High basketball team faced off against the Liberty Eagles last Friday in the third place game of the Parkway West tournament, where they fought hard on both sides of the ball and captured a 56-40 win. Only three days later, SLUH went to war against a highly touted MCC foe, the 12-7 Vianney Griffins, where they fell short 78-56.
Liberty
After the Jr. Bills won the tip, they were taken aback by Liberty’s 2-3 zone. However, with the vision from sophomore point guard Ben Yust and last week’s Athlete of the Week senior point guard Dylan Humphrey at the helm, the Jr. Bills swung the ball to every possible nook and cranny that they could find within the zone. Each of the Jr. Bills early possessions consisted of finding open space, with their first two buckets coming from senior power forward and Wyoming football recruit Landon Pace, with a pull up jumper and a three pointer where he was left wide open.
“I just trust myself,” said Pace. “Everyone thinks that I just operate in the paint, but when I’m given open looks, I’m gonna take them.”
Defensively, the Jr. Bills’ man to man defense stifled the Eagles early, forcing the Eagles to go 0 for 5 on their first five field goals, with junior standout Keenan Harris coming up big with two early big blocks on layup attempts. Through much of the first quarter, the Jr. Bills as a whole captured almost every defensive rebound and loose ball, many a result of the hustle of Humphrey.
“Dylan sets the tone every time we’re on defense. It’s no nonsense,” said Harris. “A lot of my intensity feeds from him.”
As SLUH whipped the ball around the perimeter, fighting off the 2-3 zone of the Eagles, the Jr. Bills found their two hot hands in sophomore three-point sniper John Hawkins and Humphrey, who knocked down a three from way downtown to put the Jr. Bills up 13-5.
However, the soaring Eagles cut into the Jr. Bills eight-point lead with two quick drives to the hoop to cut it to 13-9 as the quarter came to a close.
Despite the Jr. Bills going cold from around the perimeter to start the second quarter, a Pace steal turned into a transition bucket from junior shooting guard, Anderson Espe: the Jr. Bills bread and butter.
“Causing turnovers turns into buckets,” said Pace. “That’s how our defense is set up and if we do a better job communicating it can happen a lot more often.”
Continuing to attack the Eagles 2-3
zone with the opportunities they had presented to them, sophomore point guard Jack Grigaitis stepped into a three from the top of the key and drilled it; the Jr. Bills third three-pointer of the game put them up 18-13 and forced a Liberty timeout.
However, SLUH got into foul trouble late in the first half, putting the Eagles at the free throw line and tying it up 18-18. Offensively, Hawkins and Harris struggled to connect from the mid range, as well as in the paint, and with Pace threw two straight passes out of bounds. SLUH was without a rhythm.
However, as Humphrey went to the free throw line, he was fiercely taunted by the Liberty bench and after he swished both of his free throw attempts, he motioned over to the bench, and boldly shushed them. The Jr. Bills had found their spark going into half tied at 20.
“I didn’t see that in the moment, but I’m not surprised by that,” said head coach Erwin Claggett. “He’s been the head of the snake all year and his intensity is contagious. He’s in a long succession of really good guards since I’ve been here and he lives up to the standard in all the ways.”
Looking to build off Humphrey’s ferocity at the end of the first half and limit turnovers, the Jr. Bills flipped the script on both sides of the ball.
To start the half, Yust got to the free throw line and knocked down two free throws. Little did anyone know that the second half would be known as the Ben Yust legacy game.
“He wants to make the right play every time and get everyone involved,” said Claggett. “I was happy to see in the second half that he got a lot more aggressive offensively because he brings an element that helps Dylan and our offense as a whole. Normally Dylan is our main guard, so having two competitive and determined guards is huge.”
Through their demanding man to man defense, the Jr. Bills smothered each and every dribble of the Eagles, causing havoc as shots went up. In addition, a second three from Pace along with a dime from beyond half court to a cutting Humphrey put the Jr. Bills up 30-24.
“We watched a whole lot of their film leading up to the game,” said Claggett. “They play a lot of zone and they make you passive: find the creases in the baseline high post. We made some adjustments early on and then from there on it was attack, attack, attack. Because of that, we were one of the only teams all year to get them out of their zone into man, which was good to see.”
The Jr. Bills seemingly repeated the same two motions over and over again as the third quarter wound down.
Ben Yust corner three. Repeat.
After a Hawkins drive to the hoop that broke the “Yust pattern,” the Jr. Bills went up 36-24.
“He’s getting his confidence up which is huge,” said Pace. “Him playing hard and really good defense is key both now and when we get deep in March.”
With time running down in the quarter, free throws cut into the Jr. Bills lead, but SLUH still retained a 37-30 advantage as the fourth quarter began.
Playing a larger role than he had all season, Grigaitis stopped in and knocked down both free throws, and after a signature Humphrey defensive pickpocket and fast break bucket, the Jr. Bills were back up 41-32. Humphrey finished with 18 points.
Piece by piece, however, Liberty shifted their way back into the game courtesy of continued foul trouble from the Jr. Bills and a 6-0 run that put them within one possession: 41-38. If the Jr. Bills wanted to capture third place, they would need to attack the hoop, and they did just that.
With the Eagles operating in a man to man defense, a soaring Pace whizzed through the lane en route to a subtle finish at the rim to catapult the Jr. Bills up six all of a sudden. Just as the Jr. Bills sent the Eagles to the foul line, so too were SLUH’s ball handlers dispatched to the line to extend SLUH’s lead.
Coming up with four straight steals/loose balls, SLUH underscored that their man defense is not something to be frowned upon. It is one of the best in Missouri.
“It’s the same in all sports. You gotta
keep your foot on the gas,” said Harris. “We got into some foul trouble, but that just shows that we have got heart.”
Yust continued to have the complete game of the century with a huge defensive rebound to keep the possession with the Jr. Bills as they remained up 50-40, sealing the game.
This trend of stout defense, transition buckets, and getting to the free throw line because of the double bonus continued to the final moments of the game as SLUH captured a 56-40 win and the third place trophy.
“I mean first place would’ve been awesome,”said Harris. “But that game showed us that we’re playing the ball that we need to be at the right time.”
Vianney
Coming off of a big win vs. the Eagles, the Jr. Bills went into a game against an MCC rival, the Vianney Griffins, with a hope to carry their defensive greatness into the game. With their top tier defense, they were hoping to shut down the offensive powerhouse that the Griffins are.
With Claggett out due to sickness, the team was led by assistant coaches Spencer McCall, Todd Basler, and James Washington. The Jr. Bills defense began the game hot, limiting Vianney to just 7 points in the first half of the first quarter, while the Jr. Bills offense was hot, putting up 12 to give them a 12-7 lead with just over 3:10 remaining in the quarter.
“I told the guys that a lot of their game was going to be predicated on
their offensive attack and in transition,” said Claggett. “That’s where they get a lot of their threes at, on those open floor opportunities and I was at home stuck in bed watching it. In our offensive possessions, we didn’t have good shot quality and we need to have good shot quality against those guys.”
After a quick three and two free throws, the Griffins offense began to get hot, with senior point guard and McDonalds All American nominee Luke Walsh leading the offense down the stretch of the quarter. Due to the offensive pressure, the Jr. Bills’ strong defense began to crumble, with the quarter ending at a score of 23-17 in favor of the Griffins.
The defensive struggle continued throughout the beginning of the second quarter, with the score falling to 29-19 in favor of the Griffins in just under a minute and a half of the quarter. The defensive collapse contaminated the Jr. Bills offense as they struggled to make passes and get open for one another.
Even with the struggle, Walsh and senior guard JD Dohrmann were just pulling up from anywhere, draining three pointer after three pointer.
This offensive production for the Griffins was combinerd with a lockdown on defense, as Vianney limited the Jr. Bills to just six points in the second quarter compared to their own 23, the same as their first quarter production. The defensive lockdown also led to seven Jr. Bill turnovers, with the Griffins gaining seven points off of those turnovers, playing a huge part in their offensive production.
This defensive masterclass by Vianney led to SLUH going without a point in the last 4:30 of the half, while Vianney’s offense went on a 12-0 run.
After the break, the Jr. Bills came out on fire as they went on a 7-2 run to start the quarter. But they could not keep up forever as Walsh took over the game again, scoring nine points with four of those coming from free throws after senior small forward Levi Miller got a technical foul. These points brought the Vianney lead up to 20 going into the fourth quarter with the score being 62-42.
In the fourth quarter, the Jr. Bills let the ball fly, shooting 19 field goals, but only were able to drain 6 of the 19. The Griffins played a sloppy half with nine turnovers, but still outscored the Jr. Bills in the quarter 16-14.
Next week, the Jr. Bills face off against the De Smet Spartans on Thursday. Despite their tough loss against the dangerous three-point shooting team of Vianney, they have high hope going into the final stretch of games.
“I love where we are as a team right now,” said Claggett. “We’re playing great basketball at the right time, and we continue playing fierce and aggressive on every play there is no reason that we can’t be stopped.”
Steal. Ben Yust free throws. Forced Liberty shot.
photo | Jack Auer
Junior Keenan Harris preparing to go up for a layup against Vianney
Levi Miller stuffing Luke Walsh.
photo | Will Gebhart
Rifle finds success and gains key experience during Junior Air Nationals
BY Matteo Abbate Staff
The St. Louis U. High Riftle Team came home from Camp Perry, Ohio with several new personal records in the all-stand Junior Air Nationals. Unfortunately, they were not able to put any shooters in the top eight for the finals. Many of the finalists were part of individual clubs and had shot in several international competitions all throughout the world, making it very difficult for SLUH to come out with a win. And unlike some competitions that take place in a single day, Junior Air Nationals was a two-day event, meaning shooters had to maintain their success across multiple rounds to do well.
Adding to the challenge of fierce competition was the match format itself—a grueling 75-minute, 60-shot
standing event that pushed shooters’ focus stamina.
“Holding a rifle steady for that long while maintaining mental and physical discipline is very demanding,” said senior captain Liam Miller. “Because of the fatigue I felt, I had to take several breaks in order to make the most out of all my shots.”
But despite not pulling off a team victory, or a shooter in the top eight, it was still a success. The rifle squad at Nationals was full of first-time precision shooters, making this a critical learning experience.
“This was one of the toughest competitions we’ve been to, and I was really impressed from what I saw from both our experienced and newer shooters,” said head coach Will Bresnahan. “A lot of these guys were shooting in an environment like this for the first time, and some were able to look like they’ve been doing this
for years.”
Leading the way was senior captain Cyrus Ranek, who posted a 597.5—his best score yet—which put his team in the top 14 of the competition. Miller (593.9) and junior Colin Dickinson (593.6) followed closely behind, with both shooting personal bests. Junior Clayton Garozzo (587.2), junior Griffin Grabowski (562.8), senior Matteo Abbate (558.8), sophomore Mac O’Connell (555.8), Jack Stubblefield (554.0), sophomore Nathaniel Kleiner (538.4), and sophomore Luke Payton (531.6) rounded out the lineup, all showing significant improvements.
“This match really showed me how much work I’ve put in this season and how it’s all paid off,” said Ranek. “I was very happy with my score, but being around such highlevel shooters just motivates me to keep doing better.”
SLUH Blue, the first team for SLUH, finished in the top 14 out of the 25 clubs and schools participating in the tournament with a score of 4,724 over the two days. And after the final shot was fired, the team had the opportunity to watch the finals, where they observed some of the best junior shooters in the nation.
“The best shooters in the world do the exact same thing every shot. Every little movement is calculated, every breath is controlled,” said Bresnahan. “That’s what separates great shooters from good ones. Our guys got to see that up close, and I think it showed our shooters, especially our new ones, valuable skills that we can incorporate into our own routines.”
The competition wasn’t the only highlight of the trip. To wrap up the weekend, the Rifle Bills swapped their jerseys for formal attire and attended the awards banquet. To add to that, one very unique aspect of this trip is the shooter’s prom. This is a time for all the shooters competing to get all dressed up and have fun. So, after two intense days of shooting, the team was able to relax and enjoy the night, which was filled with music, southern line dances, and plenty of laughter.
“This is the best part of the trip,” said Dickinson. “It’s very rare that you get to be in the same room with so many talented shooters at once who all understand the drive and determination it takes to get here.” With the Junior Air Nationals behind them, the team already looking ahead to the next challenge, and will now start preparing for regionals in Alabama. Because of how much depth and skill the team has, there will be three SLUH teams competing in regionals at the beginning of April.
Prep News with Super Bowl LIX predictions: KC or Philly?
With the 59th edition of the Super Bowl coming to a screen near you this Sunday, Prep News staff gives its takes on who is walking away as champion.
Matteo Abbate, Staff
34-28 CHIEFS: “Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same.” This is exactly what Thanos said when he beat the Avengers, and I’m sure Mahomes probably feels the same way. He is inevitable. With a 17-3 record in the playoffs, Mahomes is, without a doubt, already in the GOAT conversation. He has 43 touchdown passes to eight interceptions in the playoffs, and then the 105.3 passer rating just makes that statistic even crazier. He is also a perfect 7/7 in the playoffs when it comes to game-tying or go-ahead drive chances in the final minute of the fourth quarter/overtime in the playoffs. For reference, Tom Brady converted on these opportunities 13 of 22 times, or 59.1 percent of the time. He eats, sleeps, and breathes clutchness. And to add to that, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo have been in these situations time and time again, so they should be very ready for this matchup. They will be ready for the Eagles run game, forcing Hurts to make plays. The last time the Chiefs and Eagles played in the Super Bowl, Mahomes once again came up clutch. It won’t matter how good the Eagles defense is this season, the Chiefs are inevitable.
Neil O’Connor, reporter 38-24 EAGLES. I’m going to go with the unpopular pick and say that the Eagles will not only win Super Bowl LIX, but also prevent the Kansas City Chiefs chances at a three-peat. The Eagles are a
completely different team from the team that lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago. Let’s start with the Eagles offense. Even with the loss of Jason Kelce, this front five is as good as it gets. Saquon Barkley is one heck of an athlete, but these offensive lineman need to get some of the credit too. Recently, all the Eagles are known for is the run game, but don’t overlook their passing attack either. Jalen Hurts is a versatile quarterback with plenty of targets to throw to. He has a veteran tight end in Dallas Goedert who is extremely reliable. Not to mention the fact that he has one of the best receiver duos in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. While the offense is impressive, what is really impressive is the development of this defense. This defense was getting clowned two years ago about their sluggish second ary with Darius Slay and James Bradberry. How ever, Howie Roseman rose to the occasion and addressed this team’s issues. In the last two years, Roseman has acquired Reed Blankenship, Cooper DeJean, and Quinyon Mitchell to solidify the secondary. With the Eagles defensive line being riddled with veterans, Roseman also addressed this problem too. With Fletcher Cox retiring and Brandon Graham at the end of his career, Roseman went out and drafted Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr, and Jordan Davis. The Eagles brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson, while also obtaining
Zack Baun, who has developed into one of the best linebackers in the league. As a result, this Eagles defense and even their offense is elite from head to toe. This team doesn’t have a single hole, while I believe the Chiefs have many. With the vast number of superstars on this Eagles team, these players can exploit these weaknesses and easily come away with a win here on Sunday.
hasn’t come up big for the Chiefs in ages and I think Mahomes folds under the pressure of making history. At the end, Eagles use the same old devilish trick that the Chiefs used in their previous match, and will win on a field goal.
Aiden Erard, Sports Editor 56-13 EAGLES. The Kansas City Chiefs are the most overrated team in the entire National Football League. Barely scraping by the entire season, the Chiefs won 12 games by only ONE SCORE! On the other hand, the Eagles have proven their dominance this year. Their point differential of 160 destroys the Chiefs of only 59.
Theo Agniel, Sports Editor 28-25 EAGLES: Unless the Chiefs defense has the performance of a century, I see the Eagles walking away with this Super Bowl. I don’t even think the refs will be able to save Mahomes from the wrath of Nick Sirriani and the Eagles, who are looking for revenge from the 2023 Super Bowl. All signs point to the fact that the Chiefs perform well under pressure, however Kelce
The Patrick Mahomes fanboying has to come to an end and I am confident that Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts will put his legacy in the ground this year. On top of that, I better not see Taylor Swift more than three times the entire game. Show me the EAGLES.
Jake Fitzpatrick, Core Staff 35-17 EAGLES: Everyone said it would be over after Jason Kelce retired this past season. They were wrong. The Eagles offensive line in Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson have proved to be one of the best in the NFL as Barkley has followed their lead all season. If Saquon does what he has done all season, AJ Brown has a big game, and the Eagles D-Line is able
to put pressure on Mahomes, give me the E-A-G-L-E-S.
Lincoln Shorley, Core Staff 24-21 CHIEFS: The Chiefs are building a dynasty as they look ahead into the third straight Super Bowl and their fifth in the last six years. The Chiefs offense knows how to keep the ball moving down the stretch to get big wins late in games. Although the Eagles were a sleeper team heading into the year as well as the playoffs, they have still found success, which is why I think that they will keep it a tight game. Even if they keep it close, the Chiefs will find a way to continue their magic and make history.
Daniel Neuner, Core Staff 31-24 CHIEFS: The Kansas City Chiefs winning postseason games is fate at this point. A pass interference no-call will save the Chiefs defense from a fourth-quarter Eagles comeback drive, handing Kansas City another uneventful Super Bowl win. Nevertheless, the Eagles will convert on at least three third/fourth downs from tush-pushes, and their running back Saquon Barkley will score a 70+ yard rushing touchdown in the first half. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will lose his bananas on the sideline and have another embarrassing confrontation with his head coach, Andy Reid, but everyone will forget when he wins a third straight Super Bowl and proposes to Taylor Swift with the Lombardi Trophy under his arm. In the postgame interview, Patrick Mahomes will claim that the Chiefs “aren’t a dynasty yet” and that they are coming back for more next year, to which the NFL scriptwriters will begin plans early to fix games for KC in the 2025-2026 season.
The rifle team and coaching staff with their equipment.
photo | Courtesy of SLUH Rifle
The rifle team poses at the bowling alley. photo | Courtesy of SLUH Rifle
art| JesseHeater
The Jr. Bills burst onto the pickleball scene against local competition
BY Drew Sharamitaro and McCoy Amann reporters
Swimming, Soccer, Cross Country: these St. Louis U. High athletic programs had successful 2024 seasons culminating in MCC championships, State championships, and tournament trophies. But what’s next? A new sport has made its way into the SLUH atmosphere, hunting for that same glory. Who, you may ask? The Picklebills.
Amidst the other StuCo activities put on by the Class of 2026 during Junior January, juniors Brendan Hagan and Parker Holthaus were hard at work preparing one of SLUH’s newest and fastest growing sports, pickleball, for its first competition. The boys divided themselves up into teams of singles and doubles, and they played in six games combined for each individual matchup. After securing space at the Missouri
Pickleball Club, the Picklebills had some practices run by coach Teresa Corley, and competed in three matches against some familiar MCC rivals, coming into February with a record of 1-1-1.
The Picklebills faced a tough Chaminade team in the first of many historic matches.
“We played some experienced veterans over at Chaminade who were coached by the Nick Saban of pickleball,” said Hagan. “We were met with an 0-6 loss.”
Like all winners do, the boys bounced back. Next up, De Smet Jesuit, the moment they’d been training for multiple times a week at the courts. The new jerseys designed by junior Henry Manion did not disappoint. The blue-collared shirts showed just how bluecollar these gritty players are.
“Players on the team have been calling them “trim” after being excited with the baby blue colors,” said Hagan. “We got one percent
Racquetball falls short
BY Thomas Juergens and Sam Kappel Core Staff, reporter
V
arsity held their last match of the season this week at Vetta West. The Jr. Bills went up against Lafayette in a rematch from earlier in the season. Previously, St. Louis U. High had lost 2-4 against Lafayette. Unfortunately this time around, they could not improve on the record and lost again, 2-4. At the No. 1 seed, senior Thomas Juergens faced off against Lafayette’s Paul Delaney. Although
better every day leading up to the next match against De Smet.”
With match-saving performances by juniors Barrett Urban, Joe Coovert, Quinn Guthrie and Patrick Mortland, the Jr. Bills were hot, tying just the second match in SLUH pickleball history against an established De Smet team.
Focusing on the next match against St. John Vianney, the Jr. Bills did not stop there. They were hungry! Vianney was a breeze with wins all around the board from juniors Urban, Coovert, Mortland, Guthrie, Holthaus, Hagan, Andrew Freeman and Elliot Steffens concluding in a 6-0 domination of Vianney.
“The boys were hype because we worked hard, played hard, and the results showed,” said Hagan after the match.
The boys went on to beat CBC with singles wins by Hagan, Holthaus, Freeman, Coovert, and a doubles win from Kaden Schroeder and Andrew Spinner to seal the deal. They made it official. The Picklebills are the new team to beat, and everyone is starting to realize it.
While the club was just getting going in late 2024, Holthaus has had several years of experience in the sport. Back in 2018, the junior’s grandpa had started up a local league in their parish.
“I was always trying to beat him because he was pretty good. I always liked playing with him and he inspired me to start the club,” said Holthaus.
After it starting as simply a recreational passion, with the foundation of the sport at SLUH being built, Holthaus has quickly shifted his mindset on what he wants to see from the squad.
“I really got into it when we decided we were actually doing the team, and I wanted us to win,” he said, matching that desire for success that’s seen across the board for SLUH athletics.
“After connecting with Mrs. Corley, and her connecting with some of the authorities of the league, we were able to join the MCC conference” said Hagan.
However, the team still values their connectedness and brotherhood.
“We were going to have fun no matter what,” said Holthaus. “It’s awesome having people care about it and enjoying it as much as we are.”
By building such a welcoming and fun community from the get go, the Pickleball Club has become one of the most popular and talk -
ed about activities at SLUH in the span of a few months.
“I have to give props to Brendan as he did more of the work than I did and made it a real possibility,” noted Holthaus.
The success of pickleball at SLUH just goes to show how everyone is able to get involved and start clubs of subjects and activities that they are passionate about. Holthaus certainly advocates for more people to ignite new ideas to become available to the SLUH student body.
“I would say just go for it. If it’s something that you really enjoy and think others would too, then definitely share that passion. There are teachers who are very willing to guide you and help you out, and all you have to do is reach out,” said Holthaus.
in Lafayette rematch to cap off season
Delaney is a year younger than Juergens, his years of play have allowed him to perfect his serves and shot selection. Juergens couldn’t handle the precision serves and pinches and lost 2-15, 2-15.
No. 2 seed senior Drew Hawley put up a strong first game against Lafayette’s Kale Kennedy, but Kennedy barely managed to best him, with Hawley losing 12-15. In the second game, Hawley’s shooting percentages lowered, and Kennedy beat Hawley 1-15.
“I am happy with my performance in the first game,” said
Kappel finished out his season points than they should have in beginning of March.
The Pickleball team at the Missouri Pickleball Club. photo | Teresa Corley
Thomas Juergens smirking after winning a point. photo | Kathy Chott
photo | Joe Murphy
Parker Holthaus in the Timeout Chair.
photo | Teresa Corley
BLOWTORCH DUTY
PN CROSSWORD: AKA
ACROSS
1. Shades of blue-green
6. Highest-grossing film before “Star Wars”
10. Donkey
13. *Norville Rogers (Scooby-Doo)
14. Butter substitute
15. Org. for Venus and Serena
16. *John-117 (Halo)
18. *George Oscar Bluth (Arrested Development)
19. Web page visits
20. Former SLUH Principal Gibbons
21. “_____ is human ...”
23. Football position
24. *Benjamin Pierce (M*A*S*H)
26. Cause of calamity
30. Mil. personnel hangouts
31. *Edward Bear (children’s lit -
erature)
34. Old-timey OMG
35. Daredevil Knievel
36. As expected, in a 44-Across
39. Clemson coach Swinney
40. Idiot
42. San Antonio NBAer
43. Before, in poetry
44. Common message
45. Now, in Nicaragua
46. *Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs (eponymous movie)
50. Like some coffee or tea
51. Cook in hot oil
52. *Jeff Lebowski (The Big Lebowski)
55. Small batteries
56. City in Massachusetts and Or-
egon
57. Maker of Sierras and Yukons
58. Asian berry known as a superfood
62. *Gordon Schumway (eponymous sitcom)
63. *Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, Jr. (The Simpsons)
67. King, in Cannes
68. First garden
69. *Jane Hopper (Stranger Things)
70. 9-digit no.
71. Elaborate ruse
72. Comedian Leary or director Villeneuve
DOWN 1. Type of Oriental cuisine
2. The Orient, literally
3. Stars’ negotiators (abbr.)
4. T size
5. Medicine injector
6. Former SLUH Principal Moran
7. Prince alter ego of Aladdin
8. Little piggy’s cry
9. Cashmere
10. “Shucks”
11. Short piece of literature
12. Buffalo NHLer
13. Unbelievable, in a 44-Across
17. Military student
22. “And your point is?”
23. Largest dwarf planet
24. Egg, in Ecuador
25. Colorado resort named for a tree
26. Norwegian neighbor
27. Smoked symbol of victory
28. In order to win the wager
29. Edit menu option
32. SI unit of frequency
33. Dismount
37. Public outcry
Editor in Chief
Micah “Andrew” Doherty
News Editors
Andrew “Riley Leonard” Hunt
Lucas “Old School” Hayden
Sports Editors
Theo “my very important ultimate team” Agniel
Aiden “my very important bro team” Erard
Features Editor
Leo “the Decepticons” Hahn
Visual Editor
Jesse “Mary from work” Heater
Core Staff
Jens “Dan’s fake J’s” Istvan
Thomas “USA racquetball” Juergens
Otto “Old School” Reitenbach
Kane “The Fantastic Four” Luc -
hun
Max “Billie Elish” Marnatti
Daniel “not Xavier’s bank account” Neuner
Jacob “SLUH football” Fitzpatrick
Lincoln “the KY huzz” Shorley
Staff
Matteo “my article” Abbate
Tristan “me” Kujawa
Gavin “Savannah Bananas” Si -
mon
Madhavan “Sisyphus” Anbuku -
mar
Xavier “Monday night” Heithaus
Owen “Oakland Athletics” Wil -
liams
Henry “Prep News b-ball” Hassenstab
Brendan “my older brother” Hunt
Staff Artists
Colin “Mizzou” Schuler
Reporters
Finn “the t-shirt industry” Rose
Henry “TEU” Fitzpatrick
Sam “the eagles” Kappel
Drew “the chiefs” Sharamitaro
McCoy “TCU” Amann
Jack “the military industrial complex” Williamson
Photographers
Kathleen “Dimitri Medeleev” Chott
Aidan “commercials” McCoy
Aidan “Bianca Bustamante” Giljum
Teresa “Astrophysics” Corley
Moderator
Steve “Charlie Brown” Missey
38. Just nuts
40. Called like a kitten
41. O in CaO
42. Browse, then buy
44. Shawnee chief at the Battle of Tippecanoe
45. Summer drinks
47. Partner of seek
48. _____ apple
49. Achieved
52. Ivan, Peter, and Catherine
53. Divine rings mentioned in another clue
54. Impish
57. Born ca. 1965-1980
58. Peter Parker’s first love Stacy
59. Clearly, in a 44-Across
60. Average guys?
61. “Son of,” in Arabic names
64. Wedding vow
65. Anti-narcotics org.
66. Estadio cheer
Last Week’s Answers
X-Word Winner
Congrats to this week’s crossword winner, Matt Stewart, SJ! We’ll get you your reward shortly.
This book, Aftermath by Joel Meyerowitz, recently disappeared from the Media Center. If you have or have seen this book, please it return it to the Media Center so others can enjoy it. Thank you.
Crossword | Paul Baudendistel | criticisms, compliments, and ideas welcome at pbaudendistel@sluh.org
